Subject: Social Studies/Blindness
1. Topic-
Blind Walk
 
2. Content-
Diversity exists among us all. Some people must adapt to the world because of differences.
 
3. Goals: Aims/Outcomes-
1. Students will experience what it would be like to be without the sense of sight.
2. Students will identify three things on their blind walk by using their other senses besides sight, and collect things that they cannot identify.
3. Students will have more of an understanding of the blind presenter.
4. Students will understand that each person is different but all people are able to do things their own way.
 
4. Objectives-
1. Students will be good partners and will safely guide each other on blind walks.
2. Students will discuss what they learned from their blind walk with the whole class.
3. Students will compose questions to ask a blind presenter.
 
5. Materials and Aids-
The Black Book of Colors by Menena Cottin and Rosana Faria.
blind folds
whistle
paper bags
 
6. Procedures/Methods-

A. Introduction-

As a class we will read The Black Book of Colors by Menena Cottin and Rosana Faria to get the point of view of the senses from a blind child and see how it differs to their view.
 

B. Development-

1. Tell the students that they have learned a lot about why their senses are important to them, now you want them to experience what it might be like to be without one of their senses.
2. Explain that one partner will be the guide while the other partner wears the blindfold. It is very important that the guides keep their partners safe. They must tell them when steps are coming and they absolutely cannot allow them to bump into anything.
 

C. Practice-

1. Help the students put on their blindfolds and make sure that if they can see out of them, they keep their eyes closed.
2. Have the students walk around the playground and make sure their partners take them to most parts of the area. (gravel, swings, blacktop.)
3. Give each student ten minutes to walk around, then switch.
4. Have them collect uncertain objects in their paper bags during this time and have students use all other senses to observe area.
 

D. Independent Practice-

Students will compose several questions for our blind guest speaker.

 

E. Accommodations (Differentiated Instruction)-

1. Some students may need help writing their questions for the guest speaker. This can be done with you writing while they tell, or by guiding them with spelling.
2. Students with limited mobility may have to be guided by an instructor and be given objects to detect throughout the walk.
 

F. Checking for understanding-

Students will reflect on what they've noticed by losing one of their five senses through in class discussion. How did it feel to not be able to see? What kinds of sounds did they notice outside. Could they tell what part of the playground they were on by the way the ground felt under their feet?
 

G. Closure-

1. Students will draw their own image, like one from the book we read as a class, that they experienced when being "blind."
2. These pictures will be hung in the classroom.
 
7. Evaluation-
Students will express what they learned on the blind walk by discussing what it felt like to not be able to see and by sharing what other senses they used.
 

This Lesson Plan is available at (www.teacherjet.com)